"We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other."
— Inspector Goole
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Lately, I’ve found myself in conversations where someone asks, “What has God ever done for me?” That question, more than anything, speaks volumes about how deeply the mindset of me-first has seeped into our culture. But I often think—it’s not really about what God has done for us. The deeper question is: what are we doing for God, and for the people around us?
It’s all too easy to overlook how our choices affect others. I keep coming back to J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls—a play that captures this idea so powerfully. Set just before World War I, it centres on the wealthy Birling family, whose quiet dinner is interrupted by Inspector Goole. One by one, he exposes how each of them played a role in the unravelling of a young woman’s life. Eva Smith’s death isn’t just a tragedy—it’s a wake-up call about the cost of apathy. Priestley’s message is stark: everything we do has a ripple effect, often beyond what we can see.
In a world that idolizes individual success, the call to social responsibility can feel radical. The Birlings don’t see their part in Eva’s story at first. Their comfort blinds them, letting them believe they live in a bubble. But Priestley tears down that illusion. He reminds us that our lives are linked—that ignoring that connection can have devastating consequences.
There’s a stark contrast between generations in the play. Arthur and Sybil, the parents, hold tight to their pride, unwilling to admit any fault. But the younger two—Sheila and Eric—see things differently. They recognize the harm they’ve caused, and they begin to change. That shift is where hope enters the picture. It shows that while facing hard truths is uncomfortable, it’s also where transformation begins.
Inspector Goole isn’t just a character—he’s the voice of conscience. His presence challenges the Birlings, and us, to look honestly at how we live. He pushes us to listen to that quiet voice we often drown out—the one that asks who we’re becoming and what kind of world we’re helping to shape.
At its heart, An Inspector Calls asks us to be human—to truly see one another, to take ownership of our actions, and to recognize that our choices don’t happen in a vacuum. It’s a call to live with compassion, to be aware, and to understand that even the smallest act of kindness can shift the world around us.
“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe... the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.” Immanuel Kant
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